Container and blank therefor



Aug. 7, 1962 E. F. BABEL, JR

CONTAINER AND BLANK THEREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 14, 1960 ATTORNEY Aug. 7, 1962 E. F. BABEL, JR 3,048,322

CONTAINER AND BLANK THEREFOR Filed Nov. 14, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNE Y 3,048,322 CONTAINER AND BLANK THEREFOR Edwin F. Babel, Jr., Manchester, N.H., assignor to-International Paper Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Nov. 14, 1960, Ser. No. 69,004 12 Claims. (Cl. 229-34) This invention relates to boxes. More particularly, it relates to a box formed from a one-piece blank of foldable sheet material and so constructed that several of these boxes can be stacked in interlocking relationship, one on the other, without damage to the box contents.

Boxes particularly adapted for use in the handling of smaller cartons, such as paperboard milk, chocolate drink, ice cream and fruit juice containers, must be economical to manufacture, rugged in construction, and simple in design. Such boxes should be transportable from the manufacturer to the box consumer, e.g., dairyman, in disassembled condition to save on shipping cost. If the empty boxes had to be and were assembled before shipment to him, there would, of course, be resultant dead spaces which would force either a cutting down of the quantity of the shipment per unit of shipping space or additional shipping space at greater cost per order of boxes and this problem is usually solved by shipping the blanks, from which the boxes are to be made, flat and stacked one on another. In addition, such boxes should, preferably, be made from one-piece blanks, since boxes made from more than one blank obviously require additional labor and, therefore, expense in their assembly handling. Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a box for use as a milk bottle or carton carrier or caddy formed from a one-piece flat blank which overcomes these problems of shipping and handling.

The consumer of box blanks usually assembles them, whether manually or by use of appropriate machines, into the finished box. Simplicity of blank design is, therefore, an important factor. It is obvious that the consumers task is complicated if he is required to secure the box in assembled condition by use of extraneous means such as straps, staples, rivets, glue, paste, etc. This problem is solved by incorporating in the blank means to secure the box in assembled condition. Accordingly, another object of this invention is the provision of a box blank of simple design which requires a minimum of skill and no extra parts or aids to be transformed into the assembled box.

After boxes have been assembled and filled with milk cartons or the like, it is commonplace to stack them one on the other. But, first, the boxes must be of durable construction to withstand the considerable weight of other, filled boxes and, second unless some means (often extraneous, such as wire, rope, or strapping) is provided to lock these boxes in their stacked condition, there is the problem of having them jarred loose from each other by accident or during handling. A further object of this invention, then, is to provide a box construction which readily lends itself to the stacking of a number of the boxes whether empty or filled; which can easily endure the stacking both in terms of the loads usually boxed and of the length of time the stacking is required; and, which incorporates locking means for the purpose of stabilizing the box stacks and preventing their toppling.

In accordance with the present invention, a generally rectangular box having a surprisingly sturdy end wall and side wall constructions, means for lifting the box, and means for interlocking the boxwith others of its kind when they are vertically stacked is produced from a flat, one-piece box blank. More specifically, the box blank of this invention affords a box ,useful for transporting smaller containers for milk and other foods or, if desired,

3,048,322 Patented Aug. 7, 1962 other uncontained smaller items which has 2-ply end walls,

hand grips on the end walls, reinforced side walls, box assembly securing means on the side walls, and means permitting the safe and reliable stacking of two or more of the boxes in vertical alignment at the junctures of the end and side walls.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be had to the attached drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the box blank of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an isometric view depicting various folding stages in the assembly of the box from the blank of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the box of FIGURE 2 completely assembled;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional end view of the box of FIG- URE 3 taken along line 44;

FIGURE 5 is a section side view of the box of FIGURE 4 taken along line 5--5; and,

FIGURE 6 is an isometric view of the completely assembled box of FIGURE 2 in which gabled milk cartons are depicted as filling the box.

Referring to the drawings and FIGURE 1 in particular, the invention is embodied in a corrugated paperboard blank including a rectangular bottom panel 10 which is bound and defined at its ends by foldlines 11 and at its sides by foldlines 12 and in which slots 13 and 14' are centrally disposed along foldlines 11 and 12, respectively. The blank also includes, for use in the construction of the end walls of the box into which it makes up, outer end panels 15 hingedly connected to bottom panel 10 along foldlines 11, defined at their ends by foldlines 11 and 17 and mutually perpendicular end cuts 21 and 37 and at their sides by fold-lines 16, and having therein hand grip openings 23 and end ilaps '19 hingedly connected along foldlines 25 inwardly of and generally midway between foldlines 16 and parallel to foldlines '11 and 17; end ledge panels 27 hingedly connected to outer end panels 15 along foldlines 17 and defined at their ends by foldlines 17 and 29 and at their sides by cuts 37; end liner panels 31 hingedly connected to end ledge panels 27 along foldlines 29 and defined at their ends by foldlines 29 and edges 33 and at their sides by foldlines 18; and, end tabs 35 extending outwardly from end liners 31 substantially midway along end edges 33. Further, the blank includes, for use in the construction of the lower portion of the side walls of the box into which it makes up, outer side panels 20 hingedly connected to bottom panel 10 along foldlines 12 and defined at their sides by foldlines 12 and 22 and side cuts 24 and at their ends by edges 26; side ledge panels 28 hingedly connected to base panels 20 along foldlines 22 and defined at their sides 7 by foldlines 2'2 and 30 and at their ends by cuts 5-2; side liner panels 36 hingedly connected to side ledge panels 28 along foldlines 30 and defined at their sides by foldlines 30 and side edges 38 and at their ends by foldlines 32; side wing panels 40 hingedly connected to side liner panels 86 along foldlines 32 and defined at their sides by foldlines 30 and at their ends by foldlines 3-2; and, side ear panels 34 hingedly connected to side wing panels 40 along foldlines 30 and defined at their sides by cuts 24 and foldlines 30 and at their ends by cuts 52. Finally, the blank includes, for use in the construction of the upper portion of the side walls of the box into'which it makes up, intermediate side panels 42 hingedly connected to outer end panels 15 along foldlines 16, defined at their sides by foldlines 16 and side edges 44 and at their ends by edges 46, and having rabbets 48 along side edges 44 a distance from end edges 46 not less than about the widths of ou ter side panels 20 be tween foldlines 12 and 22; and, inner side panels 50 hingedly connected to end liner panels 31 along foldlines 18 and defined at their sides by foldlines 18 and at their ends by end edges 33. As shown, side liner panels 36 have widths between foldlincs 28 and edges 38 at least equal to the widths of outer side panels 20 between foldlincs 12 and 22, foldlines 18 are preferably parallel to foldlincs 16 and disposed inwardly thereof, end edges 46 which measure the widths of intermediate side panels 42 are not more than about one-half the length of fold lines 12, and of bottom panel 10, and rabbets 48 have widths not smaller than about one-half the lengths of side liner panels 36 which are measured along foldlincs 31 between foldlines 32.

In accordance with FIGURES 1 and 2, the box of the invention is erected from its blank in the following manner: outer end panels 15 are folded upwardly along foldlincs 11 until they are vertically erect and perpendicular with respect to bottom panel 10, end ledge panels 27 are folded downwardly about foldlincs 17 until they are substantially perpendicular to outer end panles 15, end liner panels 31 are folded downwardly about foldlines 29 until they are substantially parallel to outer end panels 15, and end tabs 35 are inserted into slots 13 of bottom panel 10. Then, inner side panels 50 and intermediate side panels 42 are folded inwardly about foldlines 18 and 16, respectively, until end edges 33 and base edges 46 thereof, respectively, are substantially parallel to foldlincs 12 on bottom panel 10. Next, outer side panels 20 are folded upwardly about foldlines 12 until they abut the outsides of intermediate side panels 42, side ledge panels 28 are folded downwardly about foldlincs 22 until they are substantially perpendicular to outer side panels 20 and are positioned at their ends in rabbets 48 on intermediate side panels 42. During such positioning of side ledge panels 28, side liner panels 36 must necessarily pass between erected intermediate side panels 42 and, as they move inwardly and then downwardly between intermediate side panels 42, such movement is facilitated by the ability of side wing panels 40 and side ear panels 34 to fold upwardly about foldlincs 32. Lastly, side ear panels 34 (by virtue of cuts 24 and 52), side liner panels 36, and side wing panels 40 are folded downwardly about foldlincs 30 until they parallel intermediate side panels 42 inwardly thereof and base edges 38 are inserted into slots 14 on bottom panel 10.

Thus, as shown in FIGURES 2, 3, and 5, the box of the invention has end walls having two plys made up of outer end panels 15 and end liner panels 31, in which 14; and, third, someone deliberately folds side wing panels 40 inwardly along foldlincs 32 to permit the outward movement by the narrowing of the side liner-wingear unit to fit between rabbets 48 on intermediate side panels 42.

What is claimed is:

1. A blank of sheet material for folding into a box having a bottom panel and end and side walls perpendicular to the bottom panel comprising a flat, substantially rectangular unit having a rectangular bottom panel, outer end panels, end ledge panels, end liner panels, outer side panels, intermediate side panels, inner side panels, side ledge panels, side liner panels, side wing panels, and side ear panels on which the bottom panel has each of its centrally slotted ends hingedly connected to one end of an outer end panel and each of its centrally slotted sides hingedly connected to one side of an outer side panel, the outer end panels have each of their other ends hingedly connected to an end ledge panel and each of their sides connected to a side of an intermediate side panel the intermediate side panels have rabbets along their other sides a distance from one of their ends not greater than the widths of the outer side panels, the end ledge panels have each of their other ends hingedly connected to an end of an end liner panel, the end liner panels have each of their sides hingedly connected to a side of an inner side panel, the outer side panels have each of their other sides hingedly connected to a side of a side ledge panel, the side ledge panels have each of their other sides hingedly connected to a side of a side liner panel, the side liner panels have each of their ends connected to an end of a side wing panel, and the side wing panels each have a side hingedly connected to a side of a side ear 7 panel.

side panels hingedly connected to the end liner panels openings 23 and flaps 19 can serve as hand grips. In

addition, the end walls are provided with ledges 27 upon which bottom panel 10 of a second, like box can rest and with right angles formed by those portions of outer end panels 15 which are defined by cuts 21 and 37 and the upper portions of intermediate side panels 42 within which the corners of bottom panel 10 of a second, like box can nest when the two of them are placed in a stacked relation.

Further, as shown in FIGURES 2 to 6, the box of the invention has side walls which are reinforced and, indeed, have at their bases substantially three plys made up of outer side panels 20, intermediate side panels 42, side linear panels 36, and inner side panels 50. Such side walls afford, at the upper ends of inner side panels 50, areas in addition to those of end ledge panels 27 upon which a second, like box can rest when stacking is required. They also afford the means by which the box is held together and secured in the assembled condition. For, after side liner panels 36, side wing panels 40, and side ear panels 34 have passed inwardly between erected intermediate side panels 42, after they are folded downwardly to parallel intermediate side panels 42, and after base edges 38 are placed in slots 14, side liner panels 36 cannot move upwardly and then outwardly between intermediate side panels 42 unless, first, the box is substantially empty; second, someone deliberately folds side ear panels 34 downwardly along foldlines 30 to permit the upward movement and the removal of base edges 38 from slots parallel the sides of the intermediate side panels hingedly connected to the outer end panels and are disposed inwardly thereof.

4. The blank of claim 1 in which the intermediate side panels have widths not greater than about one-half the length of the bottom panel.

5. The blank of claim 1 in which the rabbets have widths not smaller than about one-half the lengths of the side liner panels.

6. The blank of claim 1 in which flaps are hingedly connected to the outer end panels within openings centrally disposed thereon.

7. A box produced from a flat, substantially rectangular blank unit comprising a rectangular bottom panel, outer end panels, end ledge panels, end liner panels, outer side panels, intermediate side panels, inner side panels, side ledge panels, side liner panels, side wing panels, and side ear panels and in which the bottom panel has each of its centrally-slotted ends hingedly connected to one end of an outer end panel and each of its centrally-slotted sides hingedly connected to one side of an outer side panel, the outer end panels are perpendicular to the bottom panel and have each of their other ends hingedly connected to an end ledge panel and each of their sides connected to a side of an intermediate side panel, the intermediate side panels are parallel to the outer side panels inwardly thereof and have rabbets along their other sides a distance from one of their ends not greater than the widths of the outer side panels, the end ledge panels are perpendicular to the outer end panels and have each of their other ends hingedly connected to an end of an end liner panel, the end liner panels are parallel to the outer end panels inwardly thereof and have each of their sides hingedly connected to a side of an inner side panel, the inner side panels are perpendicular to the end liner panels inwardly of the intermediate side panels, the outer side panels are perpendicular to the bottom panel and have each of their other sides hingedly connected to a side of a side ledge panel, the side ledge panels are perpendicular to the outer side panels, positioned at their ends in the rabbets, and have each of their other sides hingedly connected to a side of a side liner panel, the side liner panels are parallel to the outer side panels inwardly of the intermediate side panels and have each of their ends hingedly connected to an end of a side wing panel, the side wing panels are parallel to the outer side panels inwardly of the intermediate side panels and have a side hingedly connected to a side of a side ear panel, and the side ear panels are parallel to the outer side panels inwardly of the intermediate side panels.

8. The box of claim 7 in which the side liner panels have widths at least equal to the Widths of the outer side panels.

9. The box of claim 7 in which the sides of the inner side panels hingedly connected to the end liner panels parallel the sides of the intermediate side panels hingedly connected to the outer end panels and are disposed inwardly thereof.

10. The box of claim 7 in which the intermediate side panels have widths not greater than about one-half the length of the bottom panel.

11. The box of claim 7 in which the rabbets have widths not smaller than about one-half the lengths of the side liner panels.

12. The box of claim 7 in which flaps are hingedly connected to the outer end panels within openings centrally disposed thereon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,731,191 Layne Ian. 17, 1956 2,757,853 Main Aug. 7, 1956 2,965,279 Campbell Dec. 20, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,239,460 France July 18, 1960 

